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Generic Conventions and Characteristics: Sound

Sound is a key part of any film; more often than not, a sound alone can say more than words. Films use diegetic (actual sound that’s on the screen i.e. character voices, playing a piano, a door creaking) and non-diegetic (sound that’s invisible i.e. commentary or sound effects) sound to stimulate reality, create illusion and set the mood of the film. Without sound, some actions in films especially in horror can be seen to be completely normal. Typically in horror films, non-diegetic sound is used. Because we can’t see the cause of the noise it adds to the eeriness. The harsh sounds often of females screaming hit instinctive fears such as the noise made when being chased by something or under threat of being killed. Using females to do the screaming sound effect is interesting and is used to continue the theme of being a hegemonic female, men are traditionally seen as stronger and braver therefore women add to the emotional factor. Horror sounds are usually very loud, pro-airetic codes are used in this way as loud sounds can symbolise that something is about to happen and this also links to it being an enigma code making us question what will happen next. In Silent Hill, loud music, gun shots and a heartbeat was mainly used. The use of the gun shot is used because it adds fear, we can’t naturally fight back. The loud sound makes us jump and this is something people who pay to watch this type of films pay for. The sound of the heartbeat makes us feel the increasing tension and it builds suspense, it’s an enigma code as it makes us question what’s going to happen next. In Insidious, screeching violins, creaky floorboards, a crying baby, loud breathing, screaming and swearing were most commonly used. The loud breathing is used for the same reason as the heartbeat in Silent Hill, the tension rises and it makes the audience feel suspension. Using a swear word over a loud noise is something I picked up to be particularly significant, the swear word is strong, powerful and quite harsh and adds to the effect of the film being shocking and quite hard hitting. Typically in action films, a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used. We can see where noise comes from (diegetic) when the action is building up but when the equilibrium is disrupted (Todorov), and the plot gets more intense, the sound becomes more invisible and non-diegetic, such as a heartbeat used whilst a character is being chased. Similarly to horror films, action films use musical instruments such as violins in both Men in Black 3 and Johnny English Reborn when tension builds and suspicion is emoted which focuses our attention to what will happen next i.e. an enigma code. Both genres also use pro-airetic codes, the sound tells us that something is about to happen, whether it be a loud bang in a horror film or an alarm, scream or face slap in an action film. The noise of a getaway vehicle is something used mainly within the action genre, in Johnny English, there was a helicopter that flew “about 18 inches off the road” going in the flow of traffic. This was quite comedic which makes the film have a subgenre- being an action comedy. Subgenres are used to attract many types of audience. The possibility of an expanded audience is good for media producers as the amount of money they make off the film increases. Action films are also associated with spies and spy music, James Bond, Johnny English, Men in Black, Skyfall, Mission Impossible and Spy Game are all popular action films that incorporate the idea of spies and having some sort of music to accompany this theme. Furthermore, action films focus on setting the scene and have music that is relevant to the scene, city nightlife may have cricket sounds and morning may have bird noises. When Men in Black moved to New York, the song “New York” by Alicia Keys started playing… Music and sound here was used to set the scene.

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Generic Conventions and Characteristics: The role of the Camera

Filmmakers use multiple camera angles in films to create effect. These camera angles include: 1. Establishing shot- first shot of the film showing where the action takes place. 2. Wide shot- understanding the setting. 3. Long shot-shows the figures head to foot. 4. Mid shot- shows the figures waist to head, gives detail about what they’re doing. 5. Medium close up- shows the figures chest to head, the frame is close to the subject. 6. Close up- gives detail of the subject, shows their head and shoulders, we see their emotions clearly. 7. Big close up- shows just the face, we can see emotion and expression. 8. Extreme close up- shows just a section of the face e.g. the eyes, shows power/threat/emotion. 9. Crane shot- birds eye view of the subject. 10. Point of view shot- we can see what the character sees. 11. Low angle shot- camera is below the subject, indicates power and importance. 12. High angle shot- camera is above the subject, indicates vulnerability. 13. Over the shoulder shot- looking over someone’s shoulder, we feel part of the conversation. 14. Two shot- shows the main two people, usually having a conversation.

In terms of camera angles, framing is a key concept and framing basically means the presentation of visual elements in an image, specifically the placement of the subject in relation to other objects. It can make the image more aesthetically pleasing and keep the viewers’ focus on the framed object. In framing we use a rule of thirds- positioning on the screen is key. To maintain focus the subject needs to be on the four dots where an imaginary 3x3 grid would intersect. The rule of thirds was used in both horror and both action films I watched and from this I knew which characters and props the producers wanted me to focus on.

In most horror films, the camera used is handheld, this is to create the effect of shakiness and feeling uneasy. Over the shoulder shots were used in both Silent Hill and Insidious and this was to make the audience feel directly involved in the conversations which were happening. In both  films there were limited views (used to create a feel that puts the audience on edge), awkward angles (used so that the audience could see how the characters see and feel how uneasy they feel), blurred vision/shadows (used because it makes us unsettled as we can’t fully see what is happening), high angle/ a birds eye view (used to make the ‘good’ characters seem vulnerable, which they are when under hunt by a villain, especially in horror films), panning (to make the characters feel as if they are being followed) and quick zooming in and out (adds to the dramatic effect of suspense and fear).

In action films, the cameras are more likely to be big ones on stands to keep the figures still and in full focus. In both Men in Black 3 and Johnny English Reborn, this was the case. Like in the horror films, limited views were given when the chases got more intense and a blurred focus was used when the characters were speaking, their background was distorted as the producers wanted us to focus on the characters and what they had to say. Two shots were also used, discussions between the characters were recorded and filmed in this way because what they both had to say was important to the plot and running of the film- problems don’t become solutions if a person (or people) don’t confront it with  plan. Overhead, or high angle shots, were used by the crew filming the films because they wanted to make some characters seem insignificant and vulnerable, and used low angle shots to empower other characters i.e. empower the heroes and make the villains insignificant.

Camera angles are clearly very important to creating and prolonging an effect or meaning.

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Generic Conventions and Characteristics: Characterisation

In terms of general filmmaking, a persons’ culture and identity is very important when the producers choose who to hire to take character roles. If we look at leading roles, white middle class young men who aren’t disabled take them. Men get around 18% more screen time and are given roles because there is no chance they will have to take time off on maternity leave. Middle class people are seen as the ones who are most representative of people in society, which is actually wrong because most people are in the working class. The upper or underclass aren’t used because upper’s operate social closure and value their status too much and under’s don’t intend on working, they rely on the state for money anyway. Old people are disadvantaged and take very few roles because people don’t see them as scary or key to a chase as they run too slow or as very romantic. Ethnic majorities i.e. white people take the most roles, even on TV adverts… Cassidy reported that minorities only took up 5.3% of adverts in 2010. Hunt argued that disabled people are presented as evil, non-sexual, immobile burdens who are their own worst enemies. Disabled people are denied access to good roles in films for this reason alone. Film makers can be very discriminatory when choosing who to hire. This being said, as the world gets smaller and we are more accepting of different identities, from a postmodernist perspective, all this doesn’t matter- we can pick and choose who we want to be and film makers are a lot less discriminatory than they were a decade ago.

Characterisation refers to how characters are, look, think and behave. This can be seen in terms of appearance, physical characteristics, facial expressions, body language, outfit, what they say and how they say it.

In 1920, Propp argued that in any film there is 8 roles: Villain, Hero, Donor, Helper, Princess, Father, Dispatcher and False Hero, each with their own norms, values, status and roles. Directors put them in place for a reason and they each show their own view and their own important part to play in the film. In both horror and action films, being stereotypical, a man will be the ‘villain’ and will be being confronted by another male who is the ‘hero’. The woman will be seen as a ‘helper’ and will take a subordinate role almost acting as a side kick. This can be seen in Men in Black when Nicole Sherzinger’s character was the side kick for the villain- Collider. She didn’t have a key role and wasn’t seen as an important figure, rather just one there for him. From a feminist perspective, this can be seen as objectification and annihilation of women.

In the same action film, Men in Black, the character Agent J is very formal and seems to have a logical mindset. This can be seen through the use of his language, his suit, his body language and the way he says things. He is the ‘hero’ in the film and this is made clear through the way Will Smith plays the character.

In Insidious, the villains are the spirits who have overtaken the young boys’ body. The use of non-diegetic, eerie sounds when they are around adds to our understanding of them being the bad characters. The people who play the spirits use a muffled and scary voice down the baby monitor which is a form of behaviour indicating that they are disturbing and alarming, which is common for a villain in a film. They are dressed in black and we are given limited views of them which creates a tense feel and makes the audience feel the threat that they, as villains, are supposed to be posing.

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Generic Conventions and Characteristics: Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene refers to location, lighting (and colour), costume and props. People who make films use these four ideas to set and create the tone of the film. Mise-en-scene in horror films usually includes a dark and empty or isolated location. This create an eerie atmosphere and creates tension/suspense for the event which is about to unfold. Darkness means fear because a scary event isn’t as scary when the characters have full view and can see where they are and where they can go to hide from whatever is threatening them. Darkness is associated with being uncertain, intimidated and not in the know, which isn’t pleasant for anyone. We are afraid of what lurks in the dark, we can’t see them and this is what frightens us, we are virtually blind in the dark and don’t have any natural defences from things that put us at risk for example, the spirits who overtook the body of the young boy in Insidious. Dark lighting is used in many horror films to create this effect on the people watching. Furthermore, bad weather (usually a storm) is another aspect which creates meaning in horror films. Rain is used in Silent Hill when the scene gets quite sad, the rain is a metaphor for the emotions of the mother who can’t come to terms with the fact that her daughter is dying. Lightning is used when the scene goes dark which makes the audience jump, jump scaring is a commonality in horror films- people pay to be scared. The use of storms in films manipulates our emotions because some people fear storms and this fear is instinctive. Thunder clapping is an example of non-diegetic sound and elicits a fear response because it makes us jump- it is symbolic of the fact that something bad that is about to happen. Costumes are usually either realistic to make the person fit in (psychology says that psychopathy-which most horror film bad characters are- is an example of an abnormality that comes without a front, they act and fit in so people think they are normal, this can be seen in Harold Shipman who killed over 120 people in 23 years of being a doctor) or they are massively over the top to make it blatantly obvious they are the bad, scary, character. In terms of horror film props, they are usually very random. Knives, guns, lights, barbed wire, grandfather clocks, baby monitors (as seen in Insidious), rocking horses (that rock on their own, as seen in Insidious) and handprints aren’t something you would see on a day to day basis in an ordinary house. They usually have purpose and are relevant to the scene however, I know no film is actually realistic but, they are very unrealistic-things don’t happen and props like that aren’t there so coincidently in real life. A final thing that is part of horror film mise-en-scene is the use of flashing lights or dull lighting which is used to create a sense of powerlessness and this is added to through jump cut editing. Mise-en-scene in action films is similar yet very different to that of horror. Like horror, action films use random props such as candlesticks, guns, knives and explosives, use isolated areas and weather to get a certain response from the audience. However, they are on the other end of the scale in terms of most other things. Johnny English Reborn began with men doing some form of yoga dance on the top of a roof in orange outfits creating a sense of calm before a fight (I assume, from the use of the bong prop) and the orange was used to show the mixture of danger and being happy. Horror films are associated with dark colours, whereas this was very happy, light and energetic- they were spies. Men in Black 3 started off quite similar to a horror film, Collider and Nicole Sherzinger’s character were in a dark, underground lair in the middle of space. After this scene though, the technology aspect came into play and we could tell that it was an action film from the idea of it being a chase or a quest. In action films, the location is usually isolated but wide open and in a big setting which adds to the thought that there may be a chase through this big area and it gives the audience an understanding of the setting and they can make their own decisions on what to think of the area and the events that may happen in it. Action films have a theme of testing your luck to try and find a solution to an issue, in Johnny English Reborn there is a scene in a casino which seems to have great importance, he speaks to a Chinese man in glasses who actually collapses and we believe a bit of the issue is resolved as he has one of the 3 parts of the key, which he is trying to find to solve the quest. The use of this necklace prop is interesting because it’s more realistic than using something like a gun or other things which other genres use, we all own necklaces and it takes the sense of it being a film so some sort of story out of it. In action films, getaway vehicles are important, whether it be a speedboat or helicopter like in Johnny English or a van, car or even a bus in other films in this genre. The use of getaway vehicles is for the effect of escapism, escaping this issue and solving the problem in hand.

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Generic Conventions and Characteristics: The Narrative Structure

Narrative structures are literary elements which are the framework of a film. Narrative basically means storytelling. There are 4 types of narrative which film makers follow: closed, open, multi-stranded and point of view. Each are unique and are used for different effects. Closed have events which unfold over time and there is often no clear ending, open don't have an ending it's a never ending story, multi-stranded have lots of bits of a story which only pieces together and makes sense come the end and point of view are written in first or third person.The typical narrative structure followed in films is: opening, build up, problem, event, resolution and ending.  Narrative theory was established by Carroll and says that in terms of horror films, they begin with the creation of the scary tone, usually through the introduction of a monster or like-character. They then have a discovery and disruption phase. The characters discover the monster then destroy it to restore reality. This structure is important because it provides the creators a template for the product they are trying to produce. Their product will probably be successful if it follows this structure, and the structure of an “equilibrium” identified (and discussed in my previous post) by Todorov. There are many narrative structures which make up a horror film. One element is the use of paranormal activity. There is usually an event or series of events that happen and can’t be logically explained, for example the use of a rocking horse rocking on its own, seen in the film Insidious. Its purpose is to leave the audience feeling uneasy and quite confused, something which they expect from such films in this genre. Furthermore, the use of binary opposites is another narrative structure in horror films. Barthes argued that we decode film messages using the following codes: semic, proairetic, symbolic, enigma and cultural. Binary opposites is an example of a symbolic code, this basically means that there are two complete opposites, good and bad, strong and weak, male and female etc. In horror, good vs bad and living vs dead are the most commonly apparent. The innocent party are the good, the monsters are the bad. In Silent Hill, living and dead were used, the boy was left in a coma-like dead state overtaken by spirits in a parallel universe and his living family tried to get him back. This was used to create the effect of mystery and unsettledness. Another narrative structure used in horror films is multi-stranded which basically means that there often is no clear ending, they leave us feeling confused and not quite sure about what has gone on and this is a norm within the genre, people pay to be left in this state. It’s subjective which means that it is open to finishing it how you want to finish it. In Silent Hill, I feel like the ending wasn’t clear and this definitely was done by the filmmakers to make people feel confused and this adds to the effect of it being eerie and mysterious, which horror films should be. A fourth narrative structure in horror films is the idea of having a vulnerable girl. In the Psycho shower scene, the person being stabbed was a woman. In Silent Hill, the mother was made to seem vulnerable. In Insidious, the woman was the first to believe that the house was overtaken by spirits and she was often sat crying and screaming. Producers of horror films use the idea of hegemonic femininity, a term used by Connell to describe how they are at home being emotional, nurturing and vulnerable, to create a power dynamic- the woman is stereotyped to be the weaker character and therefore we know something bad will probably happen to her. From a feminist perspective, horror films can often be quite sexist, I can’t think of any horror films where the woman is the character to save the say or defeat the monster, or in fact, even be the monster… Action films can be quite similar and very different to horror films in terms of narrative structures. Similar to horror, action films use binary opposites (or symbolic codes, as Barthes would argue). There is the idea of a good character and a bad character, in Men in Black 3 Collider was the bad character and Agent J was the good character. The idea of good and bad was reinforced by another generic convention used by film makers- costume. Collider had quite a scary and intimidating appearance whereas Agent J was suited and booted. This is a more obvious statement about the binary opposite of who is good and who is bad. Different to horror, the narrative structure of action films is closed- there is a cause and effect predictable string of events and the ending gives the audience closure, the challenge or issue is usually resolved. There is a common theme of a quest and the issue coming to a natural conclusion after a series of events. The explosion of the cable car in Johnny English Reborn, which had a bad character in there, gave the audience closure because we assume that he died. Another narrative structure used in action films but not horror is the theme of a quest. There is usually an issue which the characters will resolve. A third narrative structure in action films as well as horror is the idea of the vulnerable girl. In Men in Black 3, Nicole Sherzinger’s character was subordinate to Collider. She followed the idea of hegemonic femininity by being in this position and also through another generic convention- her outfit. She was in a tight, short black leather dress which according to Gaye Tuchman is an example of stereotypical annihilation. As with horror films feminists would argue that action films can often be sexist, in most films they aren’t the leading character who saves the day or are the single bad character. But as times change, this has become relative because films such as Wonder Woman have emerged.

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Establishing the Genres

A genre is a style of writing, music or art. There are multiple genres used across media products including horror, action, romance, comedy, family friendly, fiction, non-fiction, adventure, mystery, sci-fi and political. Films at also have subgenres. A subgenre is a category within a genre (basically a mixture of two genres), so for example a rom-com is a mixture of romance and comedy.

The two genres I will be looking at in this blog are Horror and Action.

According to filmsite, Horror Films are “unsettling films designed to frighten and panic, cause dread and alarm, and to invoke our hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience”. Their purpose is to elicit a reaction from an individual. They aim to offer a sense of fear and make the people watching feel on edge and unsettled. It will usually begin with an equilibrium, be disrupted by an event which is intended to be scary and then end with a different type of equilibrium- according to Todorov (1939). He says that every film, no matter what genre, follows this structure i.e. the format of all films is the same. Horror is a genre which an individual will either love or hate, and this is evolutionary. Some people like the thrill of observing danger and how to deal with the unknown, in the past this was something our ancestors had to face. I myself hate them and would therefore exhibit the “flight” reaction and choose to avoid watching scary films, again something which is evolutionary. Within this genre, the audience have expectations… As it is known as “horror”, people go into the cinema or buy the DVD because they want to be scared. They want to be left unsettled, they have paid for this and expect to come out feeling this way. If they don’t their expectations will not be met and they will be leaving feeling disappointed that they spent time and money to watch something that wasn’t what they wanted. This has follow on effects for the company who made the film as they will have spent possibly millions making a film that won’t be rated highly as it has not met their audiences’ “standards” of what they have paid to see. The first horror film on record is Le Manoir du Diable (1896) created by Georges Méliès. Horror is relative because this film to the people at the time was probably scary but now, it’s probably not that scary. Fear then is different to fear now, graphics have developed and our definition of what it is to be scared has changed. To aid my understanding, I sat and watched Insidious and Silent Hill, two horror films which did follow the equilibrium structure identified by Todorov and did meet the expectations of wanting to be scared and unsettled.

Action films on the other hand are completely opposite. They aren’t there to elicit a fear response, they are there purely for entertainment and thrill seekers who like the concept of challenges and overcoming them. According to filmsite, they have “tremendous impact, continuous high energy, lots of physical stunts and activity, possibly extended chase scenes, races, rescues, battles, martial arts, mountains and mountaineering, destructive disasters, fights, escapes, non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous heroes - all designed for pure audience escapism with the action sequences at the core of the film”. As with horror and any genre, Todorov argues that the format of an action film will begin with an equilibrium, get interrupted by an event which in this case will be a fast-moving activity then end with a different equilibrium, i.e. the solution to the activity. Being stereotypical, this genre is associated with young adult men who are interested in actions of hegemonic masculinity (a term coined by Connell to describe those with traditional views of what a man should be- strong and aggressive when necessary problem solvers). So the audience expectations for this genre circle these themes. Obviously, people other than young males watch action films but these men make up a big chunk of the audience. As with horror films, if they come out not impressed or inspired to some extent, they won’t have their expectations met, will rank the film not good and this has follow on effects for the producers of the film. To aid my understanding of themes the general gist of action films, I watched Men in Black 3 and Johnny English Reborn.

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Introduction

In this blog I will be comparing and contrasting two key genres in filmmaking: horror and action. There is a huge difference in the content and display of the two genres, hence why I chose the two to look at. Horrors are associated with scary faces, death, blood and guts whereas action films are more to do with a chase, a difficulty and often contain explosions of some description. They vary hugely in terms of the effects of narrative structures, certain camera angles, lighting, colour, characterisation, sound and mise-en-scene.

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Men In Black 3 Film Sheet

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Year  Released: 2012

Main  Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Nicole Sherzinger, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alice Eve, Bill Hader, Mike Colter, Michael Chernus, Keone Young, Rick Baker, Cayen Martin.

Sub  Genre: Science fiction-action

Budget: $225 million

Gross: $559.4 million

Synopsis: Alien criminal Boris "The Animal"  escapes from a maximum-security prison on the moon and comes to Earth in  search of Agent K, who captured him and put him behind bars in 1969 - Wiki

Mise-en-scene: Underground place to begin with- we assume  this is here the bad characters stay. This is enhanced by the scary face on  one of the characters (Collider). Nicole Sherzinger’s character comes in in a  short, tight, revealing leather dress (stereotypes…) carrying a pink cake  with roses on- contains a spider sort of creature which goes into a man with  no eyes and scary teeth’s hand (literally under his skin and he says “you  complete me” to it. He goes outside and we find that they are on the moon-  the scary male character goes near the American flag which we know Neil  Armstrong put there, and says “lets rewrite history”. It zooms right out so  we can’t see him anymore, it pans over to the earth and the title is shown. Will Smith’s character (Agent J) is in a  black suit and tie and has black sunglasses. He starts off talking in front  of a group of people in a city location. Him and Agent K drive off in a posh  black car. A woman, who has a long green tongue, grabs  Agent J’s hand to stop him shooting. Agent J ends up in the mouth of a fat slug  scary character with too many teeth. After spraying mustard in its nose, it  sneezes him out and he crashes through a window outside, back with Agent K  and they face Collider who wants to kill them both. Agent J is in a white office with a woman  who we assume is the leading agent, and they are surrounded by spy  intelligence. When Agent J goes home, he’s playing on a  games console, on the floor in front of a bed with black bedding on and a big  picture of a pug on the wall. He gets a phone call from a man in an office  who has a cord phone and is sat in a brown chair in front of a bookcase,  there is a fireplace with a big open flame in there also. Drinks chocolate milk out of a yellow baby  bottle which he took off a little girl living at house 5K. Chocolate milk  seems to become an important thing. Swearing is something that occurs quite  frequently. Artificial intelligence and blue holographic  screening. At the top of a building, standing on a  stick out pole ready to time travel to save Agent J’s partner who died 40  years ago. He wants to travel back to 1969. He jumps off it and a Wall street  crash newspaper hits him in the face, he lands on the floor and is back in  1969. Funfair in 1969 which Collider is at. Agent  J gets shocked and then wakes up in a lab where loads of alien creatures. A man gets hit over the head with a bowling  pin. Agent J rips off his head and uses it as a bowling ball.  A party in white place and a man releases a  ton of butterflies. Stereotypical women’s role, in a café  wearing a yellow maid outfit. Collider meets himself in the past and they  end up arguing and making scary noises at each other. The man with the red hat turns out to be  some sort of artificial intelligence man- he has a hole in his head and a  blue light where he would have a brain if he were a human. Dark city, street lights are focussed on in  the background behind Agent J and K (the man Agent J time travelled for). At the top of a crane, Agent J, K, Collider  and Collider’s younger self are fighting, both Colliders fall off. Agent J  comes off in a zip wire cable car. All the hands come out of Collider’s face  and Agent J shoots and kills him. Agent J has a flashback and is stood at the  top of the building again. Zooms back out into space, a satellite blows  up and the title screen shows.

Sound:  Begins with loud drums and a saxophone to  create tension. Gun sounds, sound arcade-y though, not real.    A woman screams. Trumpet, violin and drums get increasingly  louder. Slapped across the face by his boss. Slowly increasing violin sounds when Agent J  has a lightbulb moment. Common spy theme tune. Cricket sounds when it’s night-time- city  nightlife and countryside mix. Stood in a cricket match arena as well. This  man who had the red bobble hat was stood there watching a match on his own. Tense non-diegetic sound when Agent J is  chasing Collider. Agent J got slapped across the face twice  (once for lying, the other for telling the truth) by K, the friend he time  travelled to find. “New York” song plays when Agent J has a  flashback back to standing at the top of the building in New York.

Camera: Two shot mid shot. Low angle shot looking up at Collider- power  and threatening. Closeup shots of characters- waist up. Over the head shot of Agent J and the other  man who are stood on the top of the building. Low angle shot of Agent J when he jumps off  the building. Point of view shot when he’s in the car that  he stole. Over the shoulder shot on a conversation  between Agent J and another man with a red bobble hat on. Two shot of Agent J and K going up a lift  really fast. Uses the rule of thirds.

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Johnny English Reborn Film Sheet

Director: Oliver Parker

Year Released: 2011

Main Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Rosamund Pike, Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, Daniel Kaluuya, Togo Igwana, Tim McInnerny, Pik-Sem Lim, Richard Schiff, Josepine de La Baume, Mark Invar, Burn Gorman.

Sub Genre: crime-action

Budget: $45 million

Gross: $8,305,970

Synopsis: When a team of ruthless assassins plot to kill the Chinese premier, the only person who can stop them from plunging the world into total chaos is bumbling secret agent Johnny English (Rowan Atkinson) in this sequel featuring Gillian Anderson, Dominic West, and Rosamund Pike. Somewhere deep in Asia, the veteran MI-7 spy has been training for years in anticipation of his next mission. Meanwhile, the most prominent heads of state in the world begin gathering for a conference that could have a major impact on global politics. When MI-7 receives word that the Chinese premier has become the target of some high-powered killers, it falls on Johnny English to save the day. Armed with the latest high-tech weaponry and gadgets that would make even James Bond jealous, the once-disgraced agent uncovers evidence of a massive conspiracy involving some of the world's most powerful organizations, and vows to redeem his tarnished reputation by stopping the killers before they can strike.-Wiki

Mise-en-scene: Dark scene establishing scene when they were flicking through the MI7 sheets. Limited views also. Mozambique. Nepal location. Rooftop with mountains and hills around. Wearing orange outfits in the karate scene. All have beards. Candle props in the smokey room- Johnny says “Master am I ready”. He replies “no”.  Ginger cat on the chair in the office when he’s talking to Pegasus. Have a behavioural psychologist in the scene. Artificial intelligence is featured.  Blue Rolls Royce car- voice recognition activation. Mixed fruits sweets- eaten when he says “maybe I can use someone to carry my bags” on a mission. End up being voice changing travel lozenges.  Mission in Hong Kong. Johnny wears a black suit and bow tie when he goes on his mission.  Chinese man in spectacles in the Casino, when he collapses English ends up in an isolated white and green hallway. Cleaner is in green and has bright pink gloves. She ends up strolling round with a gun and shooting one of the people on the hallway. Jonny English doesn’t realise it’s come from her so wants to hide her in a room and she sprays him in the face when he clocks her bullets. Rooftop chase after a man who stole a necklace (of 1/3 of a key) off the man who got shot by the cleaner. This man makes all fancy moves where Johnny English easily walks through doors rather than over them and down a ladder (and a lift) rather than jumping off buildings. Speedboat chase.  Camera which shoots bullets. When back in his office, he stands at the end of a table, leaning forward and resting on his fingers.  “Shushan” Susan stole the key necklace, someone related to the cleaner. The cleaner ends up flicking knives at Johnny English. Colour is quite dark- black suits, black office, black chairs, black car.  Golf scene- link to class, status and occupation. Johnny English and his side man drive in a helicopter- comedic as they drive too close to trees and cut the tops off. Drives about “18 inches” off the ground down a road with car traffic.  KGB CIA MI7 is the vortex code. High, low, high low on the adjustable chairs when discussing the 3 members of the vortex with 1/3 of the key each- presented as focus. Rooms are usually dark and have lights on the wall. Quiet corridors with candles on candlesticks. Lots of guns. People are chasing Johnny who’s in an electric wheelchair with a white and orange motorbike helmet and glasses on going in and out of the traffic because they think he has the third key.  Snowy back alley. Red firework goes off. Glass of crystals. Fight in a snowy cable car, Johnny English falls out in the snow, he fires a bullet back at the man still in the car and it explodes.  

Sound: Sound of a bong being hit when the karate scene came on.Constantly says “British intelligence”.Spy music is played quietly throughout the  scenes where he’s speaking to other agents. Violins.Non-diegetic sounds- common sound for spies.  Helicopter fan sound gets increasingly  louder.“Don’t give up on us baby” song when they  are on the way to the hospital with a man who got shot by the cleaner at the  golf.Church scene- angelic and quiet choir music.Knife slash noises.Fast action spy music.Dramatic violins when he’s approaching where  he needs to be.Alarm sound and dog starts barking, “agent  in distress” is repeated.Tense non-diegetic sounds.   Hitting a woman over the head with a tray sound and the obvious “ow” response noise.

Camera: Two shots when two people are conversing.Lots of over head shots when the roof top  chase is ongoing.When a man jumps across two buildings there  is a low angle shot.Over the shoulder shots when important soy  things are being discussed.Focusses on Johnny English, background is  blurred.Extreme close up of Johnny English sleeping.   Limited views

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Insidious Film Sheet

Director: James Wan

Year  Released: 2011

Main  Cast: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Barbra Hershey, Andrew Astor, Corbett Tuck, Heather Tocquigny, Ruben Pla, John Henry Binder, Joseph Bishara, Philip Friedman, J. LaRose, Kelly Hitman.

Genre: Horror

Budget: $1.5 million

Gross: $54,009,150

Synopsis: “It is the first instalment in the Insidious  franchise. The story centres on a couple whose son inexplicably enters a  comatose state and becomes a vessel for ghosts in an astral dimension who  want to inhabit his body, in order to live once again”. – Wikipedia

Mise-en-scene: Fonts used are blood red with smoke  evaporating. Black and White- low saturation = Dull. Cobwebs. Stove came on on its own. Child used a hand light for getting around  in the dark. Child is in a coma- he has no brain damage  or any noticeable issues. Child is in a bed sheet with dinosaurs on. The other child who is supposedly in a coma  walks around at night. Seems to have a lot of setting at night time  and characters are in bed. Turned the main light on and it turned off  straight away- had to use torches. All the house décor is wood and a brown  colour. Child has blood on his bed- the stain is in  a hand print shape. Dark figures pace past the door-They come  in the door, overtake the whole camera shot and then when the woman screams  and the man rushes to her, it disappears. Woman has very pale skin. The man agrees to move house and the scene goes  bright and colourful again, for a few moments whilst she has a conversation  between her and another woman. The photo of the 4 of them (mother, father  and two boys) seems to be an important prop. Does it hold the spirits in  there? Rather than them being in the house which they just moved out of? Rocking horse is rocking on its own. Door slams open on its own. Child starts laughing then jumps out of the  wardrobe and runs off. Paper flying about, bloody handprints  everywhere.

Sound: Screeching violins. Thunder. Snoring. Creaky floorboards and doors. Baby crying. Ladder broke and child who was wearing a  cape fell. Crackling. Loud banging- non diegetic. Ghostly noises that gradually get louder  whilst the child sleeps Woman talking to the mother about the childs’ issue is faded out and is replaced with white noise. Piano playing. Ticking grandfather clock. Muffled scary voice through the baby monitor-  goes from silent to a scream of “now” then loud baby crying. When the woman  goes up to the baby, the room is empty and we see a rocking horse and a plain  white chair. Loud noise when the woman saw someone in the  baby’s room then the house alarm went off went off for about a minute. Goes  off then comes back on. Breathing audio adds to the “scared” effect. Non diagetic sounds based when it is dark. Father uses a swear word-  “I deal with things in my own  f__ way”.

Camera: Rule of thirds- child is usually in one of the one of four key spots. High angle. Extreme close up of the father figure when he had his hands over his eyes and was having a flashback to his dark house. Shakey angles. Behind the woman. Over the shoulders shots. Eerie sounds to go along with it. Shadows. Usually shoulders up angle.

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Silent Hill Film Sheet

Director: Keiichiro  Toyama

Year Released: 31st  January 1999

Main Cast:  Radha Mitchell, Sean Bean, Laurie Holden, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates, Tanya Allen, Alice Krige, Jodelle Ferland, Colleen Williams, Ron Gebriel, Eve Crawford, Darek Ritschel, Amanda Hiebert, Nicky guadagni, Maxine Dumont, Chris Britton.

Sub Genre: Survival Horror

Budget: $50 million

Gross: $46,982,632

Synopsis: “Unable to accept the fact that  her daughter is dying, Rose (Radha Mitchell) decides to take the girl to a  faith healer. On the way, the pair drive through a portal in reality, leading  to an eerie town called Silent Hill. The town is surrounded by a potent  darkness, and the human survivors fight a losing battle against it.”- Wikipedia

Mise-en-scene: Dark Lighting. Silhouette- sinister. Lit with a candle- spooky effect. Lightning in a scary place. Dodgy Lighting. Snowy, grey, dark. Messy hair and dark, ripped clothes. Rain when outside the police place. Abandoned bike. Torch. Fire. Burnt Film. Grainy film effect- age. Woman strapped to the top of a ladder. Blood on faces. Fire on sticks. Old, wrinkly and grey hair. “Witch”. Knives- woman got stabbed. Spotlight on a woman’s face. Why? Barbed wire wrapped around woman who stabbed  someone.

Sound: Loud scary music at the start- non diegetic. Smacking a piano. Heart beat- non diegetic sound. Ring of fire song. Gun shots. Creaking doors. Squeaky doors. Child crying. Rattling keys. Screaming. Crying. Silence. Piano playing. Biblical references. Muffled voices. Fire crackling and cheering. Loud breathing. Organ music.

Camera: Limited views. Funny angles. Blurred focus. Birds eye view of a girl on a cliff edge. Zooming in. Over the shoulder shots.